Chapter 6: Loss of Control

The ache did not fade after training.

It followed me through the corridors, into Kael’s chambers, and into the restless hours of night. My body felt wrong. Too warm. Too aware. Every breath carried the faint scent of him, and my pulse reacted to it in ways I did not understand.

I pressed my palms against the cool stone wall, trying to steady myself.

This was the bond. It had to be.

I had been warned.

Sleep refused to come. When I finally drifted, it was shallow and fractured, filled with images of golden eyes and iron hands.

A sharp knock cut through the silence.

“Open the door.”

Kael’s voice was low, controlled, and far too close.

My heart leapt. I crossed the room and opened the door before fear could stop me.

He stood there with his jaw clenched, his presence heavy and restless. His eyes were darker than I had ever seen them.

“You felt it,” he said.

It was not a question.

“Yes,” I admitted. “It won’t stop.”

He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. The air shifted immediately, thick with tension.

“Sit,” Kael commanded.

I obeyed, settling on the edge of the bed. He remained standing, pacing once like a caged predator.

“The bond surged during training,” he said. “That was only the beginning.”

My hands twisted together. “Is it dangerous?”

“Yes.”

The answer came too quickly.

“To you or to me?” I asked.

His gaze snapped to mine. “To both.”

The truth of it settled heavily between us.

Kael stopped in front of me. “You must learn control.”

“I am trying,” I said softly.

“That is not enough.”

He knelt in front of me, close enough that I could feel his heat. My breath caught. Instinct screamed to retreat, but my body leaned toward him instead.

“Look at me,” he ordered.

I did.

The bond reacted instantly. Heat bloomed in my chest, sharp and overwhelming. My heart raced. My vision blurred at the edges.

“Breathe,” Kael said, his voice steady. “Focus on my command, not the pull.”

I inhaled slowly. Exhaled.

The ache lessened, but did not disappear.

His hand rose, stopping inches from my cheek. He did not touch me.

“Permission matters,” he said quietly. “Even between mates.”

Something about that cracked open a part of me I had kept sealed shut.

“You’re holding back,” I whispered.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

His jaw tightened. “Because if I don’t, I will take what the bond offers.”

“And you don’t want to?”

“I don’t trust it.”

The honesty surprised me.

The bond surged again, stronger this time. My breath hitched. I reached for him without thinking.

Kael caught my wrists instantly, his grip firm but careful.

“Stop,” he commanded.

The word sliced through the haze. My body froze, every nerve vibrating.

“Good,” he said, releasing me slowly. “You respond to command. That is control.”

Shame and relief tangled in my chest.

“I don’t like feeling helpless,” I admitted.

“Neither do I,” Kael replied.

He rose to his feet and turned away, creating distance between us.

“You will rest,” he said. “Tomorrow, training continues.”

I nodded, my body still humming with energy I did not know how to release.

At the door, he paused.

“Elara.”

“Yes?”

“This bond will test us both,” he said. “If you ever feel it overpowering you, you come to me immediately.”

I swallowed. “And if it overpowers you?”

His shoulders stiffened.

“Then I will remove myself before I cause harm.”

He left without another word.

I sank back onto the bed, my heart racing.

The bond was no longer quiet.

It was awake.

And control, I realized, would be the hardest lesson of all.